Last week, at a packed screening at Chauraha (The mini theatre of the NCPA), Anand Patwardhan presented his excellent new documentary titled Fishing In The Sea Of Greed. This is by far the best crafted video documentary by Patwardhan: taut, full of humour, pathos and lyricism, all of which combine to heighten an already chilling story. If you ever wondered why the pomfrets of today are one-tenth the size of the pomfrets of yesterday then this is a must-see film. Even if fish are not your thing this film is recommended, for it demonstrates the unbridled corruption and short-term gains sought by businessmen and politicians. And the long-term havoc this causes on the lives of local inhabitants and the eco-structure. The film pulls no punches in exposing the nexus between the politicians-mafia-business interests in coastal India but provides hope to all those who decide to stand up for their rights as it documents how the traditional fishing community of India has won the first roundin an ongoing battle. Undoubtedly, this film will be difficult to procure for the average interested viewer, but Patwardhan does sell VHS copies of his works and can be contacted for the same.

Patwardhan has had a very busy year thus far. Two major retrospectives of his works -- the first in Mumbai in January and the second in Hong Kong in March -- have given audiences a chance see his prolific and compelling output as a film-maker. Starting life as a social activist, Patwardhan took to making documentaries on the causes he worked for. His films are a means to an end. The end being social justice and the eternal quest for peace. Most recently, he has been instrumental in gearing up public response against Pokhran II and has played host to the visiting survivors of Hiros-hima-Nagasaki.

Insta cult

Another Anand currently finding a favourable buzz among media practitioners is Anand Surapur who has struck a chord with his fabulously sharp satire on Hindi cinema of the '70s through his music videofor Instant Karma. Surapur trained as a film-maker in America for two-and-a-half years at the New York Film Academy. He had to leave his education incomplete due to lack of funds and returned to India whereupon he chanced across an article in India Today that profiled Channel [V]-whiz Shashank Ghosh. Surapur decided to fly a kite and went across to meet Ghosh and showed him his short diploma film. For the next three years, Surapur worked in the Promo's department at Channel [V] churning out some of the most memorable works including, the Mangta Hai Postman series and the Udham Singh series. When the time came to move on Surapur started his own production company, Phatfish Productions (what is it about Anands and fish?!). A series of commercials have followed and then the Instant Karma video. "The idea for the video came about when Rajesh "Devi" Devraj and myself were chilling out one day," says Surapur. "Devi is a well known writer in television and a collaborator on most of mywork. We were fascinated by a '70s Hindi film called Jalte Badan which has a cult following these days. It's a really bizzare movie about the drug culture and degeneration of Westernised college youth... in one scene the hero is hallucinating on the beach and sees this massive acid pill looming in the sky... of course the films director used a Cadbury's Gem instead of a real acid tab!" Along with Marge Rodrigues, who produces for Phatfish, Surapur produced the video on a low budget but achieved a high-quality look and feel and did not compromise on art direction and casting. Currently, Surapur is putting the final polish on his feature film script which he hopes to produce next year. Titled All You Need Is A Girl And A Gun (based on a Goddard axiom), Surapur drolly informs, "I have the girl and the gun... now I need to raise the finance! In the meanwhile I am looking at several music videos and commercials that keep coming my way". Here's knowing someone will bite the bait!

Headstart

Talented Audhuna Bhabani is at it again. She came to Mumbai on a lark, settled down to becoming a hot name in advertising make-up, moved on to co-directing the Fashion Police series on Channel [V], went onto becoming a unique production stylist and is now shortly opening her own hair and beauty salon at Worli (near Pochkhanawala Road)!

The place is called Juice and those who have been invited to previews swear it is THE in-place to be this season! Apart from conventional hairstyling, Audhuna is keen to find adventurist youth who will allow her to sculpt their hair. Bangalore-based fashion designer and the enfant terrible of androgyny, Sanjeev Mulchandani was Audhuna's first celebrity muse and can be seen for the next few weeks sporting her talent on his fine crown. Watch out, for Juice officially opens in July.